Studs and duds from Giants' Week 10 loss to Panthers
The New York Giants traveled to Munich, Germany for a date with the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 -- a game widely considered a must-win for the regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
A victory would all but secure the pair one more season in East Rutherford, while a loss would turn up the heat on their seats.
Consider this the moment their seats get hot.
The Giants humiliated themselves from top to bottom on Sunday, finding new and creative ways to fail and ultimately lose. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory once again and there is an incredible amount of blame to go around.
For the 2024, this represents a new low... A Joe Judge-like low.
Here's a quick look at the studs and duds (and studly duds) from Sunday's win:
STUD: LB Brian Burns
Brian Burns said he would treat Sunday like any other game but it was evident from the onset he wanted to seek revenge on his former team. Already battling through injury, Burns was banged up throughout the game but stayed on the field and kept his foot on the gas. There were moments where he struggled against the run but overall, played solidly across the board. He finished with nine tackles (four solo, two for a loss), one QB hit, and one sack.
DUD: QB Daniel Jones
It's entirely possible that Daniel Jones has played his last snap for the Giants. His performance in front of an International audience was nothing short of embarrassing. Whether it was pulling the ball down with multiple receivers open on a flea flicker or tossing a pair of drive-ending, score-costing interceptions, it was arguably the worst (or at least one of the worst) games of his career. He showed toughness on a few runs but it wasn't nearly enough to erase the negative plays. It's over for Daniel Jones.
STUD: RT Evan Neal
Evan Neal returned to the starting lineup on Sunday, shifting Jermaine Eluemunor over to left tackle. It was anyone's guess how Neal would perform after taking just two snaps this season but he stepped up to the plate. He was an absolute monster in the ground game, mauling anyone who dared line up across from him. He was equally dominant in pass protection save for a play or two. Neal deserves major kudos for his performance in Week 10. Don't be surprised if he ends up being the team's highest-graded player.
DUD: Head coach Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll is far too proud to hand over the play-calling duties but he should humble himself and consider it. His decisions to be conservative when the offense should be aggressive, and aggressive when the offense should be conservative is baffling... And wildly inconsistent. Although Jones will take most blame for the flea-flicker failure, it's a call that never should have been made. Why get so cute in that situation? He was equally cute midway through the fourth quarter when the Giants were deep in Panthers territory. It's unnecessary and costly. Should we even mention him sticking with Jones? At some point, the blame can't solely be on the quarterback if the coach continues to ride with him.
STUD: S Tyler Nubin
At first glance, it's hard to find many other positives on defense outside of Brian Burns but there were a few. Rookie safety Tyler Nubin is most certainly one of those. Anyone who goes back and tortures themselves by watching film of this game will see him flash frequently and in big spots. He recorded a game-leading 12 tackles, including eight solo and one for a loss. Several of those were open-field tackles that prevented big gains and/or scores. Huge game for the youngster.
DUD: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
What in the world was Ihmir Smith-Marsette possibly thinking when he hit a Panthers player in the head with a referee standing right next to him? Yes, maybe he got hit first but officials always see the second guy. He got lucky the penalties were offseason despite two being called on him at the exact same time, but that's still inexcusable -- especially when you don't factor in as a return man.
STUDLY DUD: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was going to be our Player of the Game right up until the very final moment. His fumble on the first play of overtime effectively ended the Giants' rally and, in part, cost them the game. We can't say it was entirely on him because had it not been for Tracy, Big Blue wouldn't have been in this game to begin with. Watching him leave in tears after a hard-fought 18-carry, 103-yard, one-touchdown game was heartwrenching.
More STUDS:
RB Devin Singletary
WR Malik Nabers
TE Theo Johnson
CB Cor'Dale Flott
LB Bobby Okereke
P Jamie Gillan
NT Dexter Lawrence
More DUDS:
K Graham Gano
LS Casey Kreiter
S Dane Belton
DT D.J. Davidson
DT Rakeen Nunez-Roches
CB Deonte Banks
DC Shane Bowen
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Studs and duds from Giants' Week 10 loss to Panthers